Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/371

] were scattered throughout the Strait, particularly towards the coast of Celebes; and both coasts were almost every where bordered with marshes. After this report many of our seamen thought there was reason to apprehend that we might not be able to find a sufficient depth of water in every part of the channel for our vessels to pass through it; however we sailed into it on the following day, and, after having proceeded about 10,000 toises east, anchored at the close of the evening.

26th. The following day another pinnace was sent out to sound throughout the whole of this passage. She returned on the 29th in the afternoon, with the intelligence that she had found a great number of sand-banks and some flats, very difficult to be discovered on account of their black colour, which rendered the passage extremely dangerous. It was therefore determined to return to the Strait of Bouton; and after having been obliged to cast anchor, often several times in the course of a single day, we at length arrived, on the 7th, at its southern extremity, and anchored near the village of Bouton, at the distance of 1,000 toises from the nearest coast.

We had spent a considerable space of time in passing through this Strait, as we were obliged to lie at anchor during the whole night time, and in